Vail Public Library set to open June 1 with social distancing and safety protocols

The Vail Public Library, along with several other town of Vail departments, will open its doors to the public on Monday, June 1. Due to the on-going COVID-19 pandemic, the library is instating certain restrictions to maintain both patron and staff safety upon re-opening.

Certain areas of the library are set to remain off-limits to patrons. Safety protocols including gloves, masks and increased sanitization of materials and areas will be enforced. The library’s hours of operation will be reduced to 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. In the meantime, the library’s digital offerings can be accessed by visiting vaillibrary.com.

Some of these resources are:

• Facebook Live Story Time led by the library’s Miss Cricket and Miss Delaney
• Virtual Zumba class on Mondays and virtual yoga classes on Mondays and Wednesdays via Zoom. Email lbarnes@vailgov.com for an invitation to the meetings.
• Ancestry.com remote access: Genealogical research from the comfort of your home during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Create a free Law Depot library subscription and create or update legal documents such as wills, leases and medical power of attorney.
• With Tax Day pushed back to July 15, get started with help from the library’s tax resources page.
• Tumblebooks for Everyone is offering free access through Aug. 31, 2020.
• Colorado State Library and Colorado Department of Education put together a variety of helpful resources for parents and students in light of school closures and have curated a list of free resources available at vaillibrary.com.
• Hoopla and Kanopy are offering special collections for access that will not count against the five checkouts per month limit.

The library is still offering curbside pick up to its patrons. In order to check out items, patrons first need to visit vaillibrary.com and search the catalog for their desired item. If the item says “It’s Here” in green, then patrons can place a hold on the item. Patrons may also click on the catalog button from the library’s homepage and there will see several tiles, one of which says “Available Now.” This is where patrons can browse titles the library currently has on its shelves. Once library staff sees the hold and locates the item, a library staff member will call the patron to set up an appointment for them to come collect their materials. The library asks that patrons return items to the book drop outside the front doors, as the Safeway dropbox remains closed.

For more information, call 970-479-2187 or visit vaillibrary.com. Sign up for the library’s monthly electronic newsletter to receive updates delivered straight to your inbox.